Saturdays in Morgantown are a tradition of its own, but when you add a game of this caliber to the mix, the stakes are much higher. It was a star studded atmosphere for what would be the biggest home opener in Morgantown in over twenty years. Fox Big Noon Kickoff would cover the game, the beloved Pat Mcafee would host his show there on Friday.
There was plenty of reason to celebrate Saturday after WVU’s win against a school that rarely makes appearances this far East. The throttling of BYU not only gives WVU a chance for a Bowl bid, but also, showed the depth of a running back room that can lead the charge to a few more wins before seasons end.
First the first time in Morgantown since 2011, and the 106th total meeting all time, the Pitt Panthers would make their way into hostile territory. For WVU, the navigating around Pennsylvania based teams continued having lost to Penn St. in Happy Valley, and getting the win against Duquesne in Morgantown last week.
In a game of shoulda, woulda, coulda, Neal Brown would state after the game “Did we play good enough to win? No. Did we play hard enough to win? Absolutely” The thing is, yes, football is a game of inches. Almost only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades. The problem is, the NCAA has now become a “What have you done for me lately society.” Neal Browns record is starting to speak for itself and head south in the decline region.
A question was brought up to me during the game on Thursday. It was “Do you think that it is cheaper to buy out Neal Brown? Or continue the season with the declining attendance?” I didn’t think to much into it at the time, but on the way home it dawned on me of how great of a question that would have been if WVU would have lost to Baylor Thursday night. The attendance was announced at 45K+.
Unlike the traffic on I-79 headed to the game, WVU would stay in their lane for 3/4 of the battle, getting a huge win against Virginia Tech. In what was seemingly looking to be a convincing win in the first half, turned quickly into a nail biter in the second. I’m sure WVU is ecstatic to bring the Black Diamond Trophy back to Morgantown for the time being, but if mistakes and bad decisions weren’t quickly put behind them, the social media buzz, locker room atmosphere, Morgantown in general’s mood would be somber to say the least.
Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, and think too much about this blowout win. Will this win give the team much needed confidence going into a game with rival Virginia Tech? Of course. After Maryland, the team needed a warm up, if you may; a game to get some walk-ons, underclassmen, backup QB Garrett Greene minutes that matter.
